Crisis in the Middle East: Numbers Revised Upwards, Around 1500 Swiss Travellers Affected
02.03.2026 | from Touring Club Suisse (TCS)
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Image rights: TCS
02.03.2026, Following the initial media release by the Touring Club Suisse (TCS), the situation surrounding air traffic disruptions in the Middle East continues to develop, and the numbers have now been revised upwards. Since yesterday morning, the TCS has received over 400 calls - three times the usual amount. Currently, 800 ETI members of the TCS are stranded in around fifteen countries due to airspace closures and numerous international flight cancellations. According to updated TCS estimates, approximately 1500 Swiss nationals are affected by the situation.
The affected travellers are located in 15 countries: Qatar, United Arab Emirates, India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Italy, Seychelles, Mauritius, Zimbabwe, Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, and Australia. They are mainly individuals whose flights have been cancelled due to the closure of airspace and who find themselves temporarily abroad with no possibility of onward travel.
A Supporting Role
The TCS acts as a central contact point, offering the affected individuals advice, guidance, and support. In addition to the measures taken by airlines, the TCS covers the costs of necessary expenses, accommodations, as well as organising onward travel or, if necessary, measures to ensure the safety of stranded travellers. In light of the large number of incoming calls, the TCS has increased its human resources to handle the high volume of requests.
Given the continually changing situation, the TCS recommends that travellers remain patient, adhere strictly to the recommendations of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) - particularly avoiding risk areas - and use the TCS app 'Travel Safety' to obtain up-to-date information on the security situation and potential disruptions in the country of stay.
Press Contact:
Vanessa Flack, TCS Media
Spokesperson
Tel. 058 827 34 41
Editor's note: Image rights belong to the respective publisher. Image rights: TCS
Conclusion of this article: « Crisis in the Middle East: Numbers Revised Upwards, Around 1500 Swiss Travellers Affected »
Touring Club Suisse (TCS)
Since its founding in 1896 in Geneva, the Touring Club Suisse has been at the service of the Swiss population. It is committed to safety, sustainability, and self-determination in personal mobility, both politically and socially. With over 2000 employees and 23 regional sections, the largest mobility club in Switzerland offers its more than 1.6 million members a wide range of services related to mobility, health, and leisure activities.
Help is provided every 70 seconds. 200 patrolmen are on Swiss roads annually with about 361,000 operations, enabling immediate onward travel in more than 80% of cases. The ETI centre organises approximately 63,000 assistance services annually, including 3500 medical assessments and over 1300 repatriations. TCS Ambulance is the largest private operator for rescue services and patient transport in Switzerland, with 400 employees, 22 logistics bases, and around 45,000 operations per year. The legal protection offices handle 52,000 cases and provide around 10,000 legal consultations.
Since 1908, TCS has been committed to increased safety in mobility - made possible through membership. It develops educational materials, awareness and prevention campaigns, tests mobility infrastructures, and advises authorities. TCS distributes around 115,000 fluorescent belts and 90,000 fluorescent vests to children each year to ensure their mobility is safe. 42,000 participants in training and further education are recorded annually in driving centres across all vehicle categories.
With 32 locations and around 900,000 overnight stays, TCS is also the largest camping provider in Switzerland. The TCS Mobility Academy researches and shapes transformations in transport, such as the vertical mobility of drones or shared mobility, for example, with the 400 electric cargo bikes 'carvelo' and 43,000 users. TCS is a co-signatory of the 2025 Electromobility Roadmap.
Note: The "About Us" text is taken from public sources or from the company profile on HELP.ch.
Source: Touring Club Suisse (TCS), Press release
Original article published on: Krise im Nahen Osten: Zahlen nach oben angepasst, rund 1500 Schweizer Reisende betroffen